Among airbag devices are ones for drivers which serve to confine a driver by an airbag that is expanded and developed from a steering wheel. And an airbag device for a driver is known which is equipped with horn switch contacts and serves as part of a horn switch mechanism for blowing a horn (refer to JP-A-2007-050876, for example).
In the above conventional airbag device, an airbag and an inflator are held by a retainer. A contact member (contact plate) is attached to the retainer. The contact plate is shaped like a bus bar and attached to the back surface of the retainer (i.e., the surface opposed to a steering wheel). Plural (e.g., three) horn switch contacts are arranged on the contact plate in a prescribed manner.
This airbag device is housed in a steering wheel in such a manner as to make a prescribed operation such as an advance/retreat or a tilt in response to a press operation of the driver. When the airbag device has made such a prescribed operation, a horn switch contact comes into contact with a contact receiving portion which is provided in the steering wheel, whereupon the horn switch is closed and the horn is blown.